Took me like 6 tries to read The Fellowship of the Ring. LOVE the books, but I kept getting stuck at chapter 4. EVERY TIME. Once I was able to get passed it I had no problems with the rest.

Is chapter 4 where the writing transitions from the "Hobbity" parochial style of the Shire to the somewhat stilted style of epic fantasy in the rest of the book? I think it happens somewhere between Bree and Rivendell, from memory.

Moby Dick--- its just not very readable, and while im at it, 'The Great Gatsby' wasnt really either.'

Originally Posted by WanderingBreezes

To be honest, the worst thing about Horde archetecture is how incredibly ineffective and easily destroyed it is. To take out an alliance fortress you need siege weapons and spies. To take out a Horde fortress you need some torches and a book to read while it all burns down.

Same here. I didn't find it boring at all, but the way it's written like a history book/bible made it a dreadful read. The language in the book is rather heavy, too.

Well it's not really intended to be a readable story, more an exercise in constructing a linguistic and literary tradition or something. Tolkien adapted his world quite a lot when he decided to set actual books in it to make it actually readable and interesting to an audience, first the Hobbit (which he only loosely associated with his legendarium at first) and then Lord of the Rings (in which he brought the two much closer together).

I guess you could say something similar of the Bible, it's more a historical/legal/religious document than a story.

The Bible, incidentally, is absolutely unreadable. The first 5 pages of Genesis are a story and the rest is just a train wreck, narratively speaking.

Originally Posted by Darsithis

Atlas Shrugged, as well. I ended up skipping most of the book to get to the end and find out how it all went down.

When you skipped to the end did you realise that nothing new happened between page 100 and page 1,000? Because my god did that crap drag on, rehashing points she'd made at the start over and over. But then it's not so much a story as a lecture.

Is chapter 4 where the writing transitions from the "Hobbity" parochial style of the Shire to the somewhat stilted style of epic fantasy in the rest of the book? I think it happens somewhere between Bree and Rivendell, from memory.

It's hard to pinpoint where exactly it does that, but yeah, I'd say starting a bit after Aragorn joins the party that it stops being in the style of The Hobbit.

If a video game developer removed tumors from players, they'd whine about nerfing their loss in weight and access to radiation powers. -Cracked.com

The Country of the Pointed Firs: I could follow it but I wanted to claw my own face off I was so bored. I don't recall almost anything about it other than I would read passages several times over and still wind up daydreaming about something else.

I don't think I was as mature a higher-thinking reader as I could have been at 15 (I do recall not really understanding the satire of A Modest Proposal at the time, which I love now). I'd like to think I could find something to appreciate in TCotPF now but since all that remains of my previous attempt is a slight lurch of the stomach whenever I recall, I can't bring myself to try.

This is probably gonna amaze some people here but "Lord of the rings" bought all 3 books, I never managed to get past first half of the first book. It is literally THE only book i have had to ever give up on, I even tried to do it a second time a few years after the first attempt starting fresh on the book again, but had to throw in the towel at around the same chapter. Good thing they made the movies a few years later.

Well it's not really intended to be a readable story, more an exercise in constructing a linguistic and literary tradition or something. Tolkien adapted his world quite a lot when he decided to set actual books in it to make it actually readable and interesting to an audience, first the Hobbit (which he only loosely associated with his legendarium at first) and then Lord of the Rings (in which he brought the two much closer together).

I guess you could say something similar of the Bible, it's more a historical/legal/religious document than a story.

The Bible, incidentally, is absolutely unreadable. The first 5 pages of Genesis are a story and the rest is just a train wreck, narratively speaking.

When you skipped to the end did you realise that nothing new happened between page 100 and page 1,000? Because my god did that crap drag on, rehashing points she'd made at the start over and over. But then it's not so much a story as a lecture.

Yeah, from what I have found books like the Bible and the Silmarillion and such aren't really meant or need to be read in order and can be skipped around to read the parts you want. Also remember the Bible itself isn't one book, it's a compilation of many books and scrolls, and the Silmarillion is meant to mimic that sort of feel, so they aren't supposed to be narrative at all.

Has to be the first 1,5 books of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, (by Stephen Donaldson), for me, I remember reading it in my late teens/early 20's, and I remember that once I got past those pages it became a great series. I've tried 2-3 times now to re-read the first ones due to the last triology, (which I haven't read yet), but for some reason I always end up putting it away.

This is probably gonna amaze some people here but "Lord of the rings" bought all 3 books, I never managed to get past first half of the first book. It is literally THE only book i have had to ever give up on, I even tried to do it a second time a few years after the first attempt starting fresh on the book again, but had to throw in the towel at around the same chapter. Good thing they made the movies a few years later.

That's understandable in the fact there is a lot of detail put in the books that can be mind numbing if you aren't really interested in that sort of prose.

That's understandable in the fact there is a lot of detail put in the books that can be mind numbing if you aren't really interested in that sort of prose.

I'd just like to say that to anyone who's read the Silmarillion and hasn't re-read LotR since, do it. Understanding so much of more the names/places mentioned throughout the story and songs/poems makes it so much more enjoyable!

Farenheit 451....... Out of every book ive ever read, I hate this the most. I don't know why, it may be associated with the fact my teachers forced us to read this, but I despise this book and the movie with every fiber of my being.

Originally Posted by Saah

Currently in Russia there is too much freedom, you can freely do things, that would cause you be arrested in USA.

Is chapter 4 where the writing transitions from the "Hobbity" parochial style of the Shire to the somewhat stilted style of epic fantasy in the rest of the book? I think it happens somewhere between Bree and Rivendell, from memory.

Nah, not nearly that far in. The hobbits are just getting to farmer Maggot's at this point.

"There is no teacher but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do. No one but the enemy will ever teach you how to destroy and conquer. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you." -Mazer Rackham - Ender's Game Orson Scott Card

hmm a difficult book i actually finished whould be Dan simmons - The terror. Slow pace and to much chapters about ppls memories from be4 the journey..

---------- Post added 2012-12-20 at 08:00 AM ----------

Originally Posted by sisk

This is probably gonna amaze some people here but "Lord of the rings" bought all 3 books, I never managed to get past first half of the first book. It is literally THE only book i have had to ever give up on, I even tried to do it a second time a few years after the first attempt starting fresh on the book again, but had to throw in the towel at around the same chapter. Good thing they made the movies a few years later.

The book is quite boring until they reach rivendell. After that the book gets a little more enjoyable. Sam and frodos chapters thou in 3rd book are zzzzzzzz (except for cirith ungol, that was pretty cool).